Fallen Skies
by Euregatto
Summary: After waking up in Las Noches with no recollection of who she really is, Soifon finds herself thrown into the chaotic world of the Arrancar... not to mention she's stuck serving under the segunda Espada, Baraggan. This is just screaming for disaster.
1. Prologue: The Seventh Fraccion

_A/N: **REVEIW! Aiming for 5-10 reveiws to start, just so I know if I should continue this or not!** pairings will include: Starribel (Starrk x Harribel) and GgioSoi (Ggio x Soifon)._

_About the rating: T for everything the Arrancar Army has to offer (violence now, quesitons later)._

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><p>"Can you hear me?"<p>

A voice… So distant, so strong…

She didn't know who it belonged to, nor did she care. Blood pulsed into her ears, her muscles ached, her head spun like a merry-go-round. The first thoughts that entered her mind were inquiring ones—_Where am I? Why is it so dark? Who's talking to me?_—but those were really the only ones. It hurt too much to speak… if she even knew how to do **that**. _Why does my body hurt? _And then reality hit her, the world crashing down around her so abruptly she almost panicked.

**_Who am I?_**

"You may be in pain, but trust me it will subside. Open your eyes."

Startled gray pools fluttered open. There was a… _ceiling_, high above her, and it was stark white. Her mind strained to remember what little she could—those were walls, she was capable of moving her hands, legs… Why was this all so unfamiliar to her? It was almost like she was an… something with an i… Infant! Yes, that's it. She sensed a presence close to her, rolling her head to observe the still form of the grinning man. "Wh…" Her throat was parched, "Who are you?"

He seemed relatively surprised at her statement, but settled down beside her on the… bed? Why was this so hard? "You do not know who I am?"

"Pfft," she rolled her eyes, which was a bad idea because that only gave her an instant headache, "I don't even know who_ I_ am."

He arched an eyebrow, sadistic smile stretching before falling again, "My name is Aizen Souske." _Aizen_ helped her sit up, which was also terrible judgment on her part since her stomach reacted by churning furiously. "Give it a few minutes, you'll feel better… Now tell me, what do you remember?"

She studied him long and hard—every curve of his face, every strand of his chestnut brown hair, every weave of the white fabric he was wearing… Her mind drew a blank. "I don't remember… _anything_. I'm sorry, is that bad?"

Aizen wagged his head, "No, no, it's quite alright." He smirked broadly, "In fact it's wonderful! I'll just have to tell you _everything_, **Soifon**…"

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**~* Fallen Skies *~**

_"All men are created equal. It is only men themselves who place themselves above equality."__ -_David Allan Coe

**Prologue: The Seventh Fraccion**

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Soifon blinked, her brain processing all this information a little bit too slowly. Aizen sat across the ten-seated table from her, chin recumbent on his fist, "I want to make sure you understand everything I've told you. Please repeat what you've been able to comprehend."

Her brow furrowed in thought, "Well… My name is Soifon. There is a place called Soul Society where all souls from the Material World go during death. Within the heart of Soul Society is Seireitei, where Shinigami exist to defeat corrupted souls called Hollows. In this dimension called Hueco Mundo all Hollows fight to survive, and if they rip off their masks they become Arrancar. You created an army within this place called Las Noches; the top ten ranked Arrancar are called Espada. You use the power of the Hougyoku to enhance what they are capable of… and you used the same technique on me to take off my Hollow mask so I, too, could become an Arrancar."

Whatever remained of Soifon's mask wasn't a mask at all, actually. The simple remnants formed, on her left eye, a scope that extended under her hair so it was hard to tell where it ended. It was white like most masks, but had two black stripes divided by a yellow one. Her hair was still short and spiky on the ends, but with those trademark braids missing.

Snapping himself out of his observant gaze, Aizen grinned. "You always did have a way with information."

Soifon frowned, glaring down at the polished table top, "So why did I loose my memories? And from what you say, why is my name so strange?"

Upon waking up Aizen gave her a uniform to change into, its colors bone white—a simple outfit really, consisting of a sleeveless vest tied together with a yellow sash at the waist over a black undershirt, slim-fit pants with traditional Chinese shoes and plain black socks with matching fingerless gloves. _Not much of an improvement_, Aizen told himself, _but I don't have much of a choice._ He had made sure not to mention it was to help distinguish her from the Soul Reapers—Arrancar wore White, Shinigami wore Black.

Shrugging, Aizen replied, "I apologize, that must have been a hiccup during the process…" He needed to delude her again. "Your name was Soifon, but you did not tell me your new name. No matter, Soifon it is… Seeing as how you just recently suffered from amnesia I do not suspect your combat instincts to kick in just yet. As such, I wish for an Espada to guide you through some training for the next couple of days." He craned his head around so he could stare at the doors to the meeting room splitting open; light flooded into the darkness and chased away the shadows.

A lone figure approached, disinterest etched into his face, "What do you want?"

Aizen chuckled, "Ah, Baraggan Louisenbarn… What would I ever do without you?"

"Give me back my castle and go home," he hissed, approaching the table, "Now answer _my_ question."

"This is Soifon," Aizen nodded in her direction, "The one I told you about during the meeting yesterday. There was a small… _stumble_ in the process, so she unfortunately lost her memories. I want you to take her under your wing for now as your seventh Fraccion; help her recall how to fight."

Baraggan narrowed his glare, "I don't have time for such nonsense! Get some other Espada to deal with it! What about Ulquiorra?"

"Busy with the task I gave him."

"Grimmjow?"

"I'm not very sure where he went, actually…"

"Harribel?"

"Her Fraccion wouldn't shut up long enough to draw their swords."

"Starrk?"

"Too lazy."

"Szayel…?"

"Would turn her into an experiment."

"Aaroniero?"

"Would eat her."

"Yammy?"

"Would crush her to avoid work."

"_Zommari?_"

"Would cry about why I exuded such a burden on him."

"Nnoitra?"

"Do I really need to give you a reason?"

"Point taken." Baraggan sighed heavily with defeat, studying Soifon cautiously. She seemed slightly amused by their bickering, a sadistic smile tugging on her lips in response to their back and forth conversing. _If only she knew how much I really hate this guy… _Cursing his own forgetfulness, he realized he had underlings for a reason. "Fine, I'll take her. But I'm dumping her onto my Fraccions' laps, so if any of them die I'm coming after you."

"Soifon," Aizen addressed blatantly, "Try not to kill anyone."

She quirked an eyebrow, "Well, OK…" Baraggan stormed out. Thinking quickly she jumped up and followed, pausing only to bow to Aizen—no Aizen-_sama_. The trekked down the halls was rather confusing since the passages all looked the exact same, leaving her puzzled by the time they reached their destination. The entrance wasn't a doorway, for certain, but it was square. Voices, shouts, clanging of metal on metal—all of it was mingled together, audile from inside. "Uhm… Baraggan, right? Where are we?"

"A training room for my Fraccion," he replied as they passed through the threshold.

"WATCH OUT!"

One Fraccion, who took the shape of an eagle, maybe a hawk—not that Soifon could tell, let alone remember what those birds even looked like—was flung in their direction. Baraggan almost reflexively pushed her out of the way as the winged Arrancar smashed into the wall, dropping limply to the floor. The one who had thrown him, a crab or lobster resembling Arrancar—once again, Soifon was at a loss—crackled with laughter, "Put some back bone into it, Redder!"

Redder got up much to Soifon's surprise, brushing debris from his down. With one glance in their direction he collapsed to his knees, brow practically crushed into the floor, "My Lord Baraggan-sama! Forgive us, we were just—"

"Yeah, yeah," the Espada wafted his hand at his Fraccion, "You boys do this to me all the time. Now get up, we have a guest."

"A guest?" One Fraccion echoed, flipping his violet cascade of hair over his shoulder. He approached with the other four Fraccion, three of whom had been sitting on the sidelines. The flamboyant one clapped his hands together, fluttering his eyelashes, "Oh, we never get guests! And she's so cute!" He kneeled before Soifon, taking her hand in his; "It's so very nice to meet you!" then pressed a kiss against the ridge of her knuckles.

He received a round-house kick to the face, sending him sailing across the room, "Get lost! You're gonna scare her off!" Calculated golden eyes turned to Soifon, spearing into her chest. Her heart stopped for a moment, breath hitched in her throat. His mask was a heavy-set tiger-skull which hid a majority of his scruffy black hair, and he stood only several inches taller than her. "I'm sorry about him. The name's Ggio Vega, by the way!"

"Back off, Squirt!" Redder grabbed the smaller Arrancar, forcing him into a head lock, "I saw her first!" He grinned at Soifon, talon jabbing his own chest, "I'm Abirama Redder, King Baraggan's strongest Fraccion!"

The blonde Fraccion, who Abirama was sparring with before, lunged forwards. His massive claw closed around Redder's neck, causing him to drop a suffocating Ggio to the unevenly marked floor, "Oh, really now? Get off your high horse! I was just kicking you into the dirt! That makes me the strongest!" He winked at Soifon, "I'm Findorr Calias! Nice to—ACK!"

Redder's wing had slammed into his side, loosening the crab-Arrancar's vice grip. "We'll have to settle it then! Take this!" They picked up where they had left off, which was basically destroying everything between them just to get at each other's throats.

Baraggan pinched the bridge of his nose, "I don't know what I'm going to do with them…"

"I'm Nirgge Parduoc," The elephant-like Fraccion remarked, bowing politely to the girl before gesturing to an even larger Arrancar beside him, "And this is Choe-Neng Poww. We are King Baraggan's more mature Fraccion, if you will."

Ggio shot up, rubbing at his stiff neck, "Hey, I'm mature!" He ducked under a punch thrown from the Fraccion he had kicked earlier, "Woah, easy Chuhlhourne!"

"Look at what you did to me!" Chuhlhourne shrieked, pointing accusingly to the blood dribbling from his lip, "You ruined my beautiful face! Don't tell me to take it easy, I'm going to kick your puny little ass into next week!"

Baraggan's eyebrow twitched in unison with Soifon's.

"C'mon Charlotte, this isn't the worst thing I've done to you."

"I HATE YOU!" They engaged in a sudden brawl—mostly Ggio sprinting around the room fleeing for his life while Charlotte swung his sword about in his wake.

Baraggan lost his patience. "ENOUGH!" Almost immediately all the Fraccion appeared before the Espada, kneeling with their heads hung against their chests in shame. He took a minute to gather himself, voice straining so he wouldn't scream again, "This is Soifon. During the Arrancar process she lost all of her memories, and Aizen has thrust it upon you to help her remember how to fight again. Now, I don't want any ifs, ands, or buts. Take it easy on her. I shall return later to check up on her progress."

With that, he turned and stormed out.

Soifon faced the Arrancar who had jumped to their feet, staring at her intently. She folded her arms, "Hi."

"Huh," Abirama reverted back to normal and then approached her, sheathing his sword, "Alright, _Abeja_, how much to know about hand-to-hand combat?" She tilted her head. "Punches? Kicks? You know what, come here." He grabbed her arm at the elbow and towed her out into the middle of the tattered room. "Let's start simple." He raised his fists to his face, "I'm going to punch and I want you to dodge, got it?"

She blinked.

Giving in, he threw a single punch. She cocked her head and he missed. "There, that wasn't so bad." He punched again, then once more until his pace ebbed into hooks and jabs. Soifon swiftly ducked and dodged all of them without so much as using her hands to block. Abirama didn't hold back now—he attacked with enough speed and power in each punch to put a Grimmjow to shame, but still he couldn't hit her.

She caught one punch, causing him to falter—she scissor-kicked him in the jaw, flooring him. "How was that?"

"I didn't need those teeth anyway!" Redder chirped, stumbling as he got back up, "OK, now I'm coming at you full force!" She slid into him, palm-striking his sternum with enough force to send him bashing into the wall, leaving a crater from the impact.

"Good," she straightened, a devious smirk plastered on her face, "I prefer it that way."

Findorr jumped up, pincers snapping the air eagerly, "Soifon, right? That's an odd name for an Arrancar."

"I know," she unsheathed her sword, instinctively raising it before her, "Aizen-sama says it was my name before I became a Hollow. I never told him my Adjuchas name."

Findorr lunged for her, his massive claw slamming into her blade with more power than anticipated; sending her sliding back a few meters, "Knew Aizen before this, huh?" He moved forwards, gripped her weapon with his smaller pincer, then swung with his larger one, but she released her sword to allow herself the capability of ducking beneath his claw. She pressed her palms to the floor, using her hands as leverage to shoot her legs upward and slam her heel into his jaw, breaking off a good portion of his mask. He dropped her weapon, landing harshly on his back. The impact may have even cracked a rib.

Soifon acrobatically twisted her body so she was able to land upright on her feet. "Apparently, since he knew me." She stomped down on the hilt of her sword, forcing it to shoot up high above her, spiraling with an air-slicing _swishswishswishswish. _As it came back down she caught it by the guard, reflexively chucking it at Findorr as he struggled to sit up. The blade pierced his chest, knocking him down effortlessly.

He was unphased by the strike; he got up with ease, ripping it from his flesh with his small claw, "That could have killed me, you sneaky little _abeja_!"

"I know," she avowed, "but Aizen-sama told me not to kill anyone."

Findorr smirked gamely, tossing the weapon back to her harmlessly, "Fair enough. It seems you remember how to fight."

She acknowledged him with an impassive nod, "It's rushing back to me… I'm just trying not to think about it and let my instinct dominate my actions." Her gaze narrowed on the unfamiliar object in her hand, "I am afraid, though, I don't know the name of my resurreccion." The Fraccion gave her incredulous looks. "From what Aizen-sama says every Arrancar has a release…"

Ggio scoffed, "And here I thought I've seen everything. I'm sure it'll come back to you eventually."

Charlotte strode up to her, "Don't you worry one bit! We'll help you remember!" Findor backed away, clutching at the blood seeping from his chest. "As for now… Have a dose of Beautiful Charlotte Chuhlhourne's Final Holy Wonderful Pretty Super Magnum Sexy Sexy Glamorous"—his fingers formed a heart—"Cero!" The wide-ranged violet beam caught Soifon off guard completely.

The wind was knocked from her lungs as the blast shot her upwards at an angle into the wall. She gasped for air as she dropped to the floor, but it was forced from her again when she impacted the floor. "What…" she started, shuddering into painful coughs, "…was… that?"

"A cero," Ggio answered matter-of-factly, "Every Hollow can fire one. But I assume you forgot that, too?"

Soifon glared at him, compelling herself to stand. She brushed debris from her vest dejectedly, "It seems I'll have to take this one step at a time… Now, where were we?"

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When Baraggan returned some time later, his jaw dropped at the sight of five of his Fraccion—except Ggio—face-down on the floor. Soifon and Ggio were engaged in what seemed to be hand-to-hand combat, their swords cast to the side. They paused and glanced at him quizzically as he entered.

_And Aizen wonders why I hate him… I should have just walked away while I had the chance._


	2. Expectations Well Defined

_A/N: **Aiming for another 5-10 reveiws, **because you know by now I love hearing from you guys! _This won't __only__ focus on Soifon by the way; I'm going to include plenty of Baraggan and his Fraccion (obviously), Starrk, Harribel, and Aizen (duh, can't have the end of Karakura and SS without him). I also wasn't very sure how to end this... so I just threw in a random Starribel scene. -nods-__

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><p>"OW!"<p>

"Will you stop complaining? It's your own fault for being so weak." Soifon dabbed at the slice in Findorr's exposed chest with the bloodied cloth, its fabric soaked in vermillion liquid and some kind of peroxide alcohol solution. All she knew was that the mixture was concocted by some guy named Szayel Aporro Granz, and it was so powerful she could practically hear it sizzle on his wound. "At least I didn't aim for your Achilles Tendons."

"My what?"

"Never mind…" Soifon had to admit, she even amazed herself at remembering something so miniscule. Now if she could recall her previous affiliation she would be getting somewhere. She glanced at Ggio who was stitching the slice in Poww's upper arm; after studying his movements she attempted to do the same with Findorr's own injury, patching him up with a needle and thin string. "So, a Fraccion is an underling of, and chosen by, an Espada?"

"You got it," Baraggan replied from where he sat upon his throne composed of a various assortment of bones, studying them with a feigned interest.

Soifon's lips pressed into a thin line, "What does that make me?"

"My Seventh Fraccion… by force, but only for the time being. Taking into consideration your current fighting capabilities I may keep you," he stroked his thick mustache thoughtfully, "You will make a worthy asset to my army once I kill Aizen."

Soifon hesitated, taken aback, "Kill him? Why would you want to do that?"

Baraggan scoffed, "Why wouldn't I? Girl, you don't know what he's done to me. Las Noches was _my_ castle!" He stood abruptly, gesturing his arms out dramatically as his voice rose in pitch, "the sky itself was my ceiling! I was feared, respected, worshiped by all!" _Well, except by Starrk and Harribel those damn imbeciles. _"Adjuchas quaked at the very mention of my name! I was so powerful no one would even think of standing up to me, let alone my own army! But then… Aizen came along and destroyed everything!"

The Fraccion stared at him dismally.

The ancient Espada rubbed his brow as if to rid himself of an oncoming headache. "Trust him all you want, Girl, but do _not_ admire. Prepare to be stabbed in your back time and time again." He sat down slowly, his stern expression ebbing into a look of both exasperation and exhaustion.

Soifon focused back on fixing Findorr's wound, "I have no choice but to put all my faith in him. He's the only one who knows who I am…"

"So you never bothered to check with his lap dogs Kaname and Ichimaru?"

"Who and who?"

"Don't even get him started with those two," Abirama remarked from where he sat cross-legged on the floor beside Nirgge, both sporting bandages on their chests. "If Aizen tells them to jump they'll jump, no questions asked, no second thoughts."

Soifon peered over at him, but said nothing. _I should see what these two know about me. Maybe they have the key to my past…_

Baraggan stood again as realization dawned on him, "I believe it's time for dinner!"

_How do you possibly tell time in this place?_ Soifon briskly dismissed the thought. That was a question best asked later when everything else had been answered.

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**~* Fallen Skies *~**

_Thoughts derail themselves.  
>Bones fracture, spirits shatter.<br>Look up, look up and see the azure sky painted with vermillion!  
><em>_Do you see the beauty?  
>Look up, look up and witness the rays of light igniting the clouds like fire!<br>Do not be afraid.  
>At dusk the night will descend…<br>And at dawn the sky will fall._

**Chapter 1: Expectations Well Defined**

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The table was rather extensive, which Soifon figured was to accommodate to the superlative room and set number of Fraccion. A massive chair occupied the head of the table, which was where Baraggan most likely sat. Several other chairs scattered around the piece of oak furniture hidden beneath an offset white sheet. Plates had been carefully placed before each seat. Across the center of the tabletop rested exquisite foods on light refracted silverware—one particular item of which Soifon figured was taken straight out of a Sci-Fi movie—of many kinds, mostly meat from what she assumed.

She quirked an eyebrow as a fish twitched, its startled gaze swerving in her direction. "I think that one's still alive."

"Nah," Nirgge nudged her towards the first chair closest to Baraggan's, "That's just nerves. Ggio's the only one who eats fish. You're lucky there's an extra chair by the way, seeing as you joined us on such short notice."

"She didn't have a choice," Baraggan mentioned as if he hadn't several times already, passing by them. Findorr and Poww pulled out Baraggan's seat and in the same fluid motion pushed him towards the table. They had thought three steps ahead—all of his favorite foods already cast onto the plate before him.

Nirgge followed the same example left by the other two Fraccion to help Soifon get seated… closest to the not-quite-thoroughly-cooked salmon of some sorts. Ggio slipped into his chair beside her, smirking slightly. He reached over to the fish, dumping it onto his plate. There was a quiet _splat _as it hit the plate, tail flexing. She winced, pitying it a little. I_t never even had a chance._

Ggio noticed her staring from the corner of his eye, "Don't be shy; help yourself."

Soifon remarked impassively, "I don't remember what I like or dislike—what if I'm allergic to something?"

"You worry too much," Findorr, across the table from her, admonished. He jabbed his fork at her, although whatever he was eating seemed just as alive as the fish, "Just shove it down and pray you don't choke."

That's not reassuring, she thought bitterly. She served herself a small portion of twisted… uh, vegetables, maybe? The small chunk of meat the landed before her tasted disdainful, which brought about a flash of memories—"I don't like meat."

The comment earned only Ggio's attention. Everyone else ignored her and continued eating.

"You don't?"

"No."

Ggio realized the only thing closest to a fish was the thing still shifting around on his plate. He sliced off its head, split the body down the middle; then passed a portion onto her plate. "Try it." She stared at him like he had three heads. "What?"

"It just had a pulse. Is that really sanitary?"

"Will you shut up and eat it?"

She finally gave in and spent the rest of the meal in silence, gradually picking away at the pitiful remains of the creature before her. That, surprisingly, was all she really ate given the fact she wasn't actually hungry to begin with. Two Arrancar entered later on to clear the table; as they collected the dirty dishes Baraggan stared at his Fraccion slouched over their chairs, once again regretting indulging in such a large buffet. "Show the girl to your quarters. You are all dismissed for the night."

If it hadn't been Baraggan's orders Soifon figured that they wouldn't move again—but still they managed to lug down the hall and into their room. It was large enough to hold six separate beds with three against either wall, but besides a metal-rimmed mirror suspended beside one bed and massive, asylum white dressers against the farthest wall it was plain. The crescent moon hung outside the window, pale white light spilling onto the sheets.

"That's weird," Abirama remarked, scratching the back of his head quizzically, "There's another bed. Must've been moved in by Aizen for Abeja."

Soifon wanted to confront them about why they gave her such a strange nickname but was subsequently hoisted into the air by her collar by Poww, "No standing in the doorway, Abeja. We're all tired." He set her down beside her bed then trekked over to his own, collapsing face-down. The springs strained under his weight.

Nirgge's bed screeched like it was going to collapse at any minute. He rid himself of his shirt before sliding under his sheet, which could have easily pulled off to be a napkin compared to his size. Abirama pat his bulging stomach, unleashing a belch loud enough to rattle the walls. "Ah, man, I'm stuffed!"

"That's simply disgusting," Charlotte hissed, shoving the bird-man aside, "I prefer to sleep in a clean room, thank you very much!"

Redder mimicked him sarcastically before shooting up his middle finger. He and Findorr dropped down under their sheets, Findorr pulling his up and over his head. "Good night!" A chorus of replies echoed around the room—all was silent again.

Soifon frowned to herself, watching them curiously. After what seemed like hours, which Soifon figured could as well only be a few minutes, Abirama's obnoxious snoring shattered the quiet of the room; Ggio groaned a complaint and jammed his head under his pillow. Soifon shed her vest and gloves, dropping them at the foot of her bed. She crawled under her sheet, pressing into the fluffy comforter and headrest.

Finally, tugging the covers up to her chin, she rolled over to the wall and cried herself to sleep.

Elsewhere, Aizen sat at the end of the meeting table. Three of his Espada had been summoned to address a critical issue—"Soifon? The new Arrancar under Baraggan?" Aizen sipped his tea, which had unfortunately cooled down so all the enriched flavors weren't brought out. His gaze landed on the Espada speaking to him so advertently. "Why are we discussing about her?"

"She's just a normal Arrancar," the other Espada agreed.

Aizen stared at the silent Espada before responding, "She's… special. Not as normal as you would think. It has come to your attention by now that Soifon has lost her memories; as such, she cannot yet utilize her full capabilities."

In turn the silent one asked, as stoically as always, "So why are you having this conversation with us? Should this not be a matter debated with Baraggan himself?"

Aizen shook his head, "I'm afraid if Baraggan knows even the slightest leak of information he may disrupt her recovery process—or worse, her growth process. I shall now share with you three the secret of Soifon—and I do not want any of this to reach Baraggan's ears, his Fraccions' ears, nor Soifon. If it does this will be disastrous. Am I clear? This is to stay locked away within your minds, never hinted, never mentioned again until our next gathering."

They leaned forward, eager to hear what he had to say.

Aizen inhaled sharply, "You all swear an oath to abide by the rules or so help me I will end you. Am. I. Clear?"

"Yes," they uttered in unison.

"Good. Now, let's begin."

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When Soifon awoke she realized it may as well have been nighttime still—seeing as the moon hadn't lowered from its apparent permanent place in the obsidian sky—but she also noticed the room seemed much… lighter. Her mind struggled to recall previous events: Aizen, fighting, healing, Baraggan, dinner, bed. When the situation settled in and the harsh reality came crashing down around her she finally dared to open her weary eyes.

_Bad idea_.

The only Arrancar in the room was Ggio, shuffling through a lower drawer. He was—only—in fitting black briefs, which unfortunately knew how to shape him well. Her face blossomed red like a wild fire, earning a startled gasp. Ggio's sensitive ears picked up on her hitched breath, but he didn't face her, "Glad you're up finally. We're taking our baths—I just finished mine—and I would ask you if you want to join the others, but a woman needs her privacy."

Soifon pretended he didn't exist, burying her face in her lap as she sat up to avoid sub-consciously staring at him. A moment later something landed on her lap. Her bright gray gaze dared to peek up at the clothes that had been dropped on her like a burden, more than relieved to find something else to focus on other than the mostly-naked Fraccion next to her.

"Here's your change of clothes. Harribel will be here in a few minutes to escort you to the women's baths."

"Wh-who's Harribel?"

"You'll see," he answered; winked, crossing the room again.

Moments later, when he had dressed and bid her adieu before trekking out the door, Soifon leapt out of bed. It was only a matter of time before the other Arrancar returned—she was in no mood to see another bare chest as long as she still had her vision—and she had to make a break for it before she regretted it later.

She gathered her clothes in her arms, bolting outside into the hall—

_WHAM!_

Soifon bounced back to the floor, landing on her back. "Easy there; watch where you're going."

She jolted to her feet, picking up her bundle of clothes all over again, "I'm terribly sorry! I'm just in a bit of a rush!" Soifon admired the woman's frame briefly—dark caramel skin, crystallizing emerald gaze, spiked blonde hair, revealing shirt that also seemed to conceal something more—before making an attempt to pass again. She paused, realizing her own stupidity, "Do you know an Arrancar named Harribel?"

"Harribel?" The woman scratched the side of her temple in thought, "Tier Harribel, tres Espada?"

"Tres?" Soifon echoed, "What do numbers have to do with anything anyway?"

"The strongest Arrancar in Aizen-sama's army are those ranked in the top ten. I do believe you are Soifon, serving under the Segunda Espada Baraggan, correct?"

Soifon nodded, "So, back on topic, do you know Tier Harribel?"

"I know her like the back of my hand," She studied her sleeve, "Given the fact I'm wearing gloves…"

Soifon cocked her head, "Do you know where she is?"

"Of course. You're looking at her." A beat. Harribel almost seemed disappointed in Soifon's lack of an expression, "What? No reaction? Well, you're no fun. The last time I decided to beat-around-the-bush with someone he looked like he witnessed his worst nightmare brought to life before his eyes."

Sighing softly, Soifon remarked, "I apologize, I'm apparently not one for taking jokes."

Harribel shrugged it off, "It's fine; come now, I'll show you to the baths."

They traversed the halls to the private women's bathing area—the room was cloaked in a creeping steam that erupted from the several hot spring pools in the floor. Soifon noticed there were only two girls currently in the middle pit, a slender one with flowing green hair, and the other more muscularly built with chocolate brown tresses that fell out like drapes when she dipped her head in Harribel's direction.

"Hello, Harribel-sama. Won't you come in? The water is simply wonderful!"

Harribel slapped Soifon playfully between the shoulder blades, "Girls, this is Soifon, newest Arrancar under Old Man Baraggan."

"Soifon's a weird name," remarked a third girl as she emerged from a thick curtain of mist. Her eyes were two different shades of color, her body exposed to the open air. "Don't you have a more suitable name?"

Harribel rolled her eyes skyward, "Ignore her. That's Emilou Apacci. The other two are Cyan Sung-Sun"—the girl with the green hair waved politely—"and Fransescka Mila Rose"—the muscular one frowned slightly—"and together they make my Fraccion. To answer your question from before, Mila Rose, of course I'll join you. I'll return in a few minutes." She turned sharply on her heel and exited with grace, practically gliding across the tiled floors.

Soifon swallowed the rock in her throat, glancing nervously at the trio of Arrancar females. They simply stared back, expressions ranging from disinterest to even deeper disinterest to deepest disinterest. "Uh… Hi. I'm Soifon… and for some reason everyone's been calling me _Abeja_."

Apacci wafted her hand, "There we go! A more suitable name! Just toss your clothes in the corner and jump in before the water gets cold."

"These waters don't get cold, Idiot," Sung-Sun hissed, sinking up to neck height.

"It was a figure of speech Smart-Ass," Apacci snapped back, slipping into the bath, "Lighten up before I shave off your hair while you sleep!"

Soifon wondered if it would be a better idea to slink off into her own bath hole, but upon Mila Rose insisting she join them she shed her clothes and strode back over to their pit. Reluctantly she slipped in, finding her footing on the underwater step. She was engulfed beneath the surface, her tense muscles uncoiling.

Finally, all of her worries melted into the water.

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Harribel felt a little sick inside—first of all, she was trusted with keeping her mouth shut about Soifon. The girl seemed so innocent… Would this experiment really work? If she went rogue, would she be a threat to Aizen-sama? Aizen may have told them everything, but it clearly wasn't enough. Ulquiorra wouldn't ask a question about anything—literally—he would just follow through and pray the plan worked. Starrk, on the other hand, didn't do _anything_, so he didn't need to worry about _anything_.

She groaned and massaged her throbbing temples.

"Frustrated?"

Wondering why she hadn't heard him, Harribel whirled around. Starrk was leant against the doorframe, arms folded back against his chest. One eyebrow was raised along with the adjacent corner of his lips, forming his trademark smug expression.

"A little," she raked her fingers through her spiked blonde hair, "Starrk, what's going to happen to her?"

He shook his head, "I don't know; honestly, I don't really care either. She's Baraggan's concern, not mine. Aizen trusted us with this information to study her, but the truth of the matter is I have better things I could be doing."

Harribel rolled her eyes skyward, "Like what?"

"Sleeping," He smirked gamely, strolling up to her with a little swagger in his hips, "Or _you_."

She slapped his shoulder, "Back off, Perv!"

Starrk grabbed her by her waist, throwing the Espada onto her bed. "It's not like you have anywhere to be!" He pinned her by her wrists, pressing his forehead against hers, "Or are you hiding something from me?"

"Starrk," her brow furrowed, "I don't lie. I keep secrets, but I don't lie."

"Exactly. What are you hiding?"

"Nothing," she dead-panned.

"OK, I believe you." He released her to remove his gloves, "Wait, I get it… you've been missing me, and you don't want to admit it!"

"Don't be so full of yourself! I saw you just yes—!" She was cut off when he stroked her exposed sides, earning a short cry followed by a suppressed moan. Contrary to popular belief she was sensitive, and this damn Espada knew _exactly_ how and where to touch her. It was downhill spiral, really: from acquaintances to friends to _this_. It was wrong to admit that it was all Starrk's fault; he was a charmer—oh how those Arrancar fell head-over-heels for him—but Harribel, resistant to such infatuation, still wound up in this masochistic affair.

She simply couldn't help herself.

Still, Starrk managed to bring doubt to the darkest corners of her mind. _Does he really care about me, or am I just a toy for playing with? What will happen when he gets bored of me? What if my Fraccion find out?_

"Bel?" His voice slammed her back down to Earth. "You were staring off into space."

"Oh, sorry," she brushed a strand of dark hair from his face, locking her crystallizing emerald eyes onto his own ice-blue pools, "I'm distracted today."

He pressed a soft kiss against her brow, entwining his fingers with hers. "Then let me take your mind off things… even if only for a little while."

"Starrk I—"

"Ssh…" His fingers closed around her shirt zipper, "Just relax… just…" the material fell open, revealing that intimidating shark-like mask of hers, "_relax_…"

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><p><span>Next chapter preview:<span>_ 'He wasn't anything like the Fraccion she was used to fighting; he was stronger, faster, and would actually _kill_ her. Blood splattered to the floor, staining her vest vermillion...'_


	3. WELCOME to the END

_A/N: **Aiming for at least 5 reviews. **Because they make me feel good, and I've noticed I'll be in a completely positive mood for the rest of the day. XD also, if my other Soifon story "Descending Into Darkness" brought you here, there's good news: I have plans for starting either a sequel/spin-off, or may do something different all together. Also, I've been into Renji x Jackie lately after reading 466, but that's extremely irrlevant._

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><p>Shawlong Kūfang wagged his head to break himself of his trance. He had been staring, quite blankly, at the pearly white hallway floors as his feet pressed against the squared-off tiles for some time now. Being, notably, the oldest Números he had to be composed and mature to set an example—not that it was helpful—but today he was distracted.<p>

There wasn't anything to do.

Sure, he could go off hunting with the other Fraccion and slaughter a Hollow the size of Yammy… but that just wasn't doing it anymore. He needed a real challenge, as did the other Fraccion under their leader. As the oldest he probably should have gone gallivanting and found a nest of Adjuchas to massacre out of personal amusement, received first kill; then spend the rest of the day being praised for providing such glorious entertainment.

Alas, he just wasn't in the mood.

"We've been walking for a while," a voice uttered behind him, "Where are we going?"

Shawlong's lips pressed into a thin line. "I apologize, Di Roy, but I just want to walk."

"Is it to find the source of all the pressure before?" Di Roy Rinker questioned. There had been a disturbance not too long ago—which was, coincidentally, when he had started strolling—and the Fraccion noted that an Espada had just picked a fight with someone. At first they figured it was with another Arrancar in the army, pathetic imbecile, but when a second pressure washed over them they realized it wasn't familiar.

A new Números had been tossed into the ranks… and it was powerful.

"No," he answered finally, "I have no intentions on meeting this Arrancar. Plus, the pressure has been subsided for a while; he or she may not be around anymore anyway."

"MOVE IT OR LOOSE IT!"

Shawlong wasn't able to react quickly enough as Baraggan's Fraccion charged through the intersection, plowing the group over. In the aftermath of dust and mingled limbs he managed to crawl out from under Nakeem Grindina, "What the hell was that?"

Edrad Liones glared in the wake of the Fraccion sprinting off down the end of the hall, "They were in a rush!"

"I wonder if Szayel's behind all of it again," Yylfordt Granz remarked as he gathered himself, brushing dirt from the front of his shirt, "You remember the case of the giant slug Adjuchas? Chuhlhourne was never the same."

"How could I forget?" Edrad hissed, "You're little brother's a damn nutcase!"

"You guys are _all_ screwed up in the head."

Recognizing the voice, they whirled around to face a frowning Espada with his hands shoved in his pockets. Shawlong bowed slightly, hand crossing his chest, "Hello, Grimmjow-sama. May we be of assistance today?"

"Nope," he smirked gamely, "But I do need to _stretch my legs_. How about a field trip to the Human world just so I don't have all the fun myself?"

The suggestion earned a grin from his Fraccion. Shawlong dipped his head in submission, "Anything you want, Grimmjow-sama…"

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**~* Fallen Skies *~**

_"__Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday  
>I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes<br>I'm coming home, I'm coming home  
>Tell the World that I'm coming…"<em>

**Chapter 2: WELCOME to the END**

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"How is she?" Was the first thing out of Ggio's mouth as they burst into the recovery room, "We came as soon as we heard!"

Baraggan faced away from the table Soifon was laid upon, blood-stained bandages concealing her upper half. "It's about time. I'm old and still got here faster than the lot of you!" He gestured to her fallen form, "I'm not very sure what happened to her."

"Dordoni brought her over," the nurse Arrancar informed him, fiddling with something across the room, "He mentioned that she passed out, but said nothing more and left."

Baraggan sighed, rubbing his brow to ease his headache, "I haven't heard from him since he was demoted… If he's the one who did this to her I'll—!"

Soifon groaned, shifted slightly; her eyes fluttered open, "Ugh… my head hurts. Where am I?" The Fraccion instantly surrounded her, bombarding her with repetitive questions. In a daze she was barely able to even sit up without feeling suffocated until Baraggan shoved them out of the way.

"Infirmary," The Espada supplied, shooting his underlings cold glares. They instantly stared at the floor. "You're a mess. What did you do to yourself?"

"I remember… being lost…" Soifon started, frowning slightly, "And then there was an Arrancar… and he attacked me…" Baraggan wondered if it had been Dordoni. "But then another man saved me."

"Abeja," Baraggan gripped her shoulders, "Tell me what happened."

She frowned, struggling to recall the events, "It started when I made the foolish mistake of trying to find Kaname and Ichimaru…"

_Soifon wandered down the hall, unsure where she was actually going. Well, judging from the architectural structure around her she could assume it was only a corridor, or another unnecessary room. Las Noches seemed to be littered with them; at this point it seemed to be built _around_ them. In this particular room the floors were scratched up, probably from multiple sword impacts. She hoped she hadn't wandered into a training area and pressed further towards the stairs that led to a door of light—maybe an exit that led outside._

_Come to think of it, the only thing she had seen in the past two days was… Las Noches. The fresh air would do her some good—not that she would wander from the door in case there was anything dangerous outside—and if it helped clear her head she would be even more relieved._

_Something shifted to her side._

_She cast her stare up to catch the calculated glare of an Arrancar. The walls in here were carved out differently—they had large portions missing towards the front of the structure, whereas the back portions connected to the ceiling—allowing her watcher to sit upright (considering his height) without having to worry about bumping his head. His weapon was massive, constructed of dual crescent-moon shaped blade that faced in opposite, vertical directions, connected to a chain linked back to him._

_At first she paid him no mind, the deepest part of her mind setting off a red alert, and made an attempt to head for the light._

_"Where do you think you're going?" His voice was a menacing jeer._

_"I don't know," She answered, her response clipped, "I'm lost. I was hoping to find my way outside."_

_He scoffed, "Well, this a training room in case you haven't noticed. I spend a lot of my time in here, given it's closest to my quarters." His finger scraped against the edge of his lower blade with a metallic hiss, "Hey, I know you… You're Soifon, that new Arrancar under the Old Man!"_

_"You should address him correctly!" She snapped, slightly offended, "He's your superior!"_

_"Superior?" Now it was his turn to be offended, "Pfft, bitch I'm Nnoitra Gilga! No one is my superior! Or, perhaps I should show you just how capable I am!" His tongue slithered from his lips, revealing a thick black 5._

_Uh-oh. From what she learned about the Espada they had numbers tattooed somewhere on their bodies… and Soifon had no intentions of ever getting on the wrong side of one. Clearly she should consider walking away from suspicious characters if she lived long enough to meet another one._

_A bright yellow orb formed on the tip of his tongue. **"CERO!"**_

_Soifon dodged the blast with ease, unsheathing her sword. Of course, not only did she just piss off an Espada, she did it before ever finding out her resurreccion's name. Despite the hours of training with Baraggan's Fraccion she was still helpless—so, she would just have to hold off and hope she could find a way to escape before Nnoitra mutilated her beyond recognition._

…I'm screwed.

_He appeared behind her with sonido, slamming his weapon downwards. Reflexively she brought her sword up to block—that was a bad idea. He wasn't anything like the Fraccion she was used to fighting; he was stronger, faster, and would actually kill her. His swing rendered the defense useless, slicing deep into her shoulder. Blood splattered to the floor, staining her vest vermillion._

_She wasn't very sure how to react—this pain, it was so new to her… It was like heated metal shredding through her flesh. He removed the guillotine, spun and kicked her into the closest pillar. "You're no fun!" He remarked snidely, "I was expecting more out of an underling of Baraggan's!"_

_Soifon dropped from the crater in the column, debris scattering across her limp form. He wagged his head, disappointed, and kneeled down to touch his finger to the floor. Utilizing Pesquisa, he sensed her power level—_No,_ his glare narrowed on her as she attempted to get up again, _her power is remarkably higher than I thought… nothing I can't handle, but still it's surprising. After all, she_ is _still moving_._

_Crimson warmth seeped through her fingers, inciting her sudden fear._

No, calm down! Clear your mind or you'll just get yourself killed! _She breathed. _I'm going to die anyway… this guy is out my league_. Her gaze landed on the man, that smirk still plastered on his face. She adjusted the sword in her grip so it was backwards so the tip of the blade extended out past her elbow. "Is that the best you can do?"_

_He quirked an eyebrow, "You must be either extremely stupid or have a will lying under your pillow." Swinging his blades skillfully he lunged. This time she was able to deflect the blow by knocking the heavy weapons off course. She blocked multiple parries until he spun to kick her again; reflexively she sprang over his leg onto the side of his shin, gyrated and nailed him in the cheek with her heel, flooring him._

_Nnoitra launched himself into the air, landing upright before she had even touched the ground. He lambasted her with a barrage of bala, hammering her into the wall. "You can't win! May as well accept your death!"_

_Soifon kicked out of the cloud of gathering debris, rocketing at him with blinding speed—she slammed her blade into his own as he brought it up just in time to avoid receiving a stab to the sternum. She twirled, skid across the tiled floor, and dashed at him after regaining her composure. Annoyed with her pestering he chucked his weapon at her, slicing his way down her back. She wasn't even phased—her sword pierced through his hierro, shallowly puncturing something probably important._

_They moved away from each other in sync, gaining ground. Blood splattered to the floor and painted it crimson._

_"You're persistent," he hissed, "but you're pissing me off now, so I'm done playing!" She lifted her sword weakly in response. Noticing she was fading he sniggered, "TAKE THIS!" He sped at her, swinging his blade across her body. She dodged with sonido—_

NO!

_He was faster, appearing behind her instantly. This was it—the final blow and she was done for._

…No, nonononono please, NO! I don't want to die! Not yet!

_"CERO!" A bright red burst drilled Nnoitra into the farthest pillar across the room. As Soifon landed on her knees her head instantly snapped in the direction of whoever had just fired that doom blast. The lone figure of an unfamiliar Arrancar appeared from the shadows. "Are you alright, Chica? I noticed the commotion and came over as quickly as I could." He offered out his hand._

_"Y-Yeah, I'm OK," she accepted his gesture and he hauled her to her feet. "Who are you?"_

_He gasped, "W-What? You don't know who I am?" She blinked. "I am a __Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, Arrancar__cientecimo tercero!"He twirled to the left, struck a dramatic pose, twirled to the right, and followed through a melodramatic pose. She blinked again, her brain trying to process whatever the hell he was saying. Giving up, Dordoni wrapped his arm around her shoulder, bringing into an awkward half-hug, "I assume you must be a newly born Arrancar if you don't know who I am!"_

_"W-Well," Soifon shifted uncomfortably, "I woke up only a few days ago."_

_"Did you now?" His eyebrows rose quizzically, "And already you're trying to stand up to an Espada?"_

_"He started."_

_"No matter. It's a pleasure to meet you! I am Aizen-dono's strongest Arrancar; forever loyal, ready to lay my life down for what he believes in!"_

These guys have egos beyond me. _"No offense, but if you are his strongest then why aren't you an Espada?"_

_Dordoni smirked; released her, "Never said I wasn't… but alas, I am not an Espada—anymore—instead I am a Privaron, who used to serve under Aizen-dono until he found even stronger Espada to replace the previous members within the ranks!" Soifon pressed her lips into a thin line. "Does that answer your question?"_

Yeah, egos. _"Uh, yes. Thank you." Suddenly her heart lurched and her body began to ache. She had forgotten about the wounds she sustained during the fight… the floor rushed up—_

_"Chica! Are you alright?"_

_—and everything went black._

"…and now I'm here," Soifon finished, "I assume Nnoitra went on his way after realizing I wasn't around anymore. Are you… mad at me?" Her voice toned down, "I know I'm weak, Baraggan-sama, but I promise I'll get stronger!"

"Abeja," he lifted his hands away from her shoulders, "Rest." With that he turned abruptly and stormed out.

The Fraccion watched him go. Ggio stepped closer to Soifon. "He hates me, doesn't he?" She asked as more of a fact than a question.

Ggio tousled her hair, "Of course not, he's just agitated. If an Arrancar tried to kill any of us Baraggan-sama would scold us for being weak but kick the other guy into place."

Soifon frowned, "Have you ever been attacked by an Espada?"

"Nope. None of us have."

"That didn't make me feel any better."

Outside, Baraggan passed down the hall with steam rising from his shoulders. As he traversed an intersection the presence of another Arrancar stopped him. "What compelled you to show your face around these parts?"

Leant against the wall behind him was Dordoni, a smug grin stitched into his expression. "Oh, nothing… but at this rate I may have to leave or Nnoitra will attempt to cut my head off." They stood in silence for a moment, "That girl is one of your Fraccion?"

"You can have her."

"Cruel words. She's powerful, you know. I don't think any of your other Fraccion could stand up to an Espada like she did."

"She almost got killed," Baraggan dead-panned, refusing to turn to him.

"But she didn't; that's got to count for something."

"Once again, you can have her. Aizen threw her in my face, I didn't choose her."

Dordoni pushed off the wall, "You need to be careful what you say, Baraggan," he started off, footfalls gradually fading down the hall, "You may regret it in the end."

"What's that supposed to mean?" The older Espada hissed, but Dordoni was already gone.

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Soifon heaved an exasperated sigh, "So what's going on?"

It had only been a few hours since the incident with Nnoitra and Dordoni, but Soifon found herself healing at—from what Baraggan said—an alarming rate. It probably had something to do with some technique called 'High-Speed Regeneration'… not that Soifon was particularly sure what _that_ was.

"Around this time each week we go hunting," Abirama reiterated, forcing Soifon towards the window, "To keep our skills up some of the Fraccion split into teams and hunt down a single Hollow. Whoever can kill the strongest, or largest, wins."

"Oh, so it's a competition?" She scanned the moonlit sands outside, "That's interesting." Behind her Apacci and Mila broke into a hissy fit with each other, which turned into a scream-off when Sung-Sun shot her usual crude remark, and Nirgge was stuck having to break them all up.

"And you get to come!" Findor chirped, "We've already decided on who goes with who." He flipped out a sheet, "Attention please!" The Fraccion in the room glanced at him in unison. "Group A is Abirama, myself, and Sung-Sun! Group B is Ggio, Abeja, and Apacci! Group C is Nirgge, Mila Rose, and Chuhlhourne! Group D is Poww, Tesra, and…" He glanced around, "Where's Shawlong and the others? Didn't they say they were coming?"

Tesla quirked an eyebrow, "Wait, you guys didn't hear?"

"Hear what?" Apacci questioned.

"They're all dead—killed off by a group of Shinigami in the Material World. Grimmjow just had his arm sliced off by Kaname for leaving without orders."

Soifon noted the silence, "Come again?"

Ggio tousled her hair, "Don't worry about it, Abeja."

Findor shrugged it off, "Guess Poww and Tesra will have to be by themselves. Sorry about the disadvantage, guys. OK, let's head out and meet back here in two hours with the kill!"

Soifon's pulse raced. _Finally, I'm going to see outside of Las Noches!_


	4. What Goes Up Won't Come Down

_A/N: **Aiming for at least 5 reviews. I'M TERRIBLY SORRY FOR BEING SO LATE BUT MY COMPUTER CRASHED SO I'M BORROWING THIS ONE. Reviews** make me feel good, and I've noticed I'll be in a completely positive mood for the rest of the day. XD BTW, My cat supports GgioSoi. Yes._

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><p>"WHAT THE HELL?" Soifon's shout echoed across the barren wasteland of Hueco Mundo, reverberating off the moonlit sands. Ggio, in turn, winced. She had been bouncing off the walls, excited, anticipating finally being able to wander outside…<p>

"Disappointed, huh?" Apacci mused.

"VERY!" Soifon snapped, kicking up a cloud of pale gray sand, "I wanna go back inside! It's not fun out here!"

Ggio sniggered, "But Abeja we haven't even started yet. Come on, I know a place where some pretty big Adjuchas reside. I'm fairly sure they put Yammy to shame."

Apache snorted, "I didn't know anything _could_ be bigger than Yammy." She started off after Ggio, hands shoved in her pockets. Soifon, sighing to herself, trekked in their wake with her hopes smothered like a candle fire.

_This had better be worth my time…_

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**~* Fallen Skies *~**

_"No light, no light  
>In your bright blue eyes.<br>I never knew daylight could be so violent~"_

**Chapter 3: What Goes Up Won't Come Down**

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"Here we go," Ggio gestured to the massive cavern entrance, "I've gone in here a few times."

Soifon stared down into the darkness, "A-Are you sure we should be going down there? It doesn't look safe…"

"Safe was never an option, Abeja," He tousled her hair, which was starting to annoy her, "Don't worry—if worse comes to worst I'll protect you! I'll just push Apacci in the way and hope that gives us enough time to escape!" The horned Arrancar tugged his braid. "Ow!"

Soifon cast another glance into the entrance of the cave, "Well… OK, let's go!"

Almost as soon as she had said that a figure appeared behind her. "What are you doing?" She yelped in surprise, ducking behind Ggio. His hair was as black as the permanent nighttime sky that enveloped Hueco Mundo, complimenting his emerald-glazed eyes and clashing with his pasty white skin.

"U-Ulquiorra-san," Ggio and Apacci said breathlessly in unison, bowing slightly.

"Ulquiorra?" Soifon echoed quizzically, finally shuffling out from the safety behind Ggio, "Who are you?"

"I assume you were not informed," Ulquiorra shoved his hands into his pockets, "I am Ulquiorra Cifer."

Ggio leaned into her ear, "He's an Espada! Tread carefully." She inclined her head in acknowledgement. "This is Soif-"

"I am aware of who she is," the stronger Arrancar interjected, "Underling of the Segunda who could very well outrank Nnoitra some day, considering the number you did on him." Soifon flushed. "It has come to my attention that the Fraccion are currently partaking in a training exercise."

"That's right," Apacci avowed.

"And you three chose such a dangerous breeding ground because…?"

Soifon glared at Ggio who shrugged passively. "It's a great challenge. You wanna join?"

Ulquiorra's gaze narrowed. _Aizen-sama did request I keep an eye on her progress… _"Yes, I shall join. It's about time for the Espada training session as well."

"Where do Espadas train?" Soifon wondered out loud, asking him without expecting an answer. Usually Baraggan would inform them that it was time for him to train, but after a while she was unable to sense his presence in Las Noches. She wondered if he trained somewhere in private with the other Espada of higher and lower rank.

"He and an Espada with a rank higher are required to train outside of Las Noches," Ggio prompted, "The sheer force of their ressureccion could destroy a fair portion of the dome, so Aizen requested the Espada find somewhere to practice that would cause minimum property damages."

Ulquiorra faced the darkness when a sudden, banshee-like shriek echoed from deep within the heart of the cavern. "It sounds like an Adjuchas just accepted our challenge. I shall lead the way."

The three Fraccion tailed the Espada into the shadows, their adept eyes adjusting quickly to the lack of light. Ggio's feline-like orbs caught glimpse of a shuddering on the walls—probably from smaller Hollows scaling the rock formation—and flickered onto Soifon. She was glancing around nervously, "It's dark in here… are you sure its safe?"

"You'll be fine Abeja," He told her quietly. She clutched his sleeve anyway.

They traveled deeper into the heart of the cave. Finally Ulquiorra ushered them to a halt—there was a drop off before them, a massive pit that spiraled downwards into even more darkness. "Was this always here?"

"No," Ggio bent over the edge to peer into the hole, "Looks freshly dug. Think a Hollow did it?"

Apacci glared down beside him, "Only one way to find out!"

Soifon gasped, "Hold up, you're not seriously suggesting we go down there!"

Apacci rolled her eyes, "Yes I am. We have no choice! Whatever dug this must be big, and big is our main goal!"

"I think I care more about my life than winning a competition… I'll just wait outside!" Soifon spun abruptly to trek back outside, but she instantly met a face-full of bat-like Hollows. They screeched and swarmed the group, knocking Soifon backwards over the edge of the pit. "OH CRAP!"

"Abeja!" Ggio exclaimed, grabbing her by the wrist. He lost his balance and snatched Apacci by her sleeve to support him but ended up taking her with them. In turn Apacci snagged Ulquiorra by the front of his shirt—

They descended only briefly before slamming into the mound of jagged edged rocks and sand, barrel-rolling into the farthest wall surrounding the pit. Soifon gagged on dirt that had snuggled into her lungs, spitting it out before calling into the shadows, "G-Ggio? Apacci? Ulquiorra-san?"

"A-*_gag_*-Abeja!" Ggio's voice echoed from close by, "Are you alright?"

"I'm OK!"

"Don't worry about me!" Apacci snapped, rubbing at the lump forming on the back of her head from where her skull had connected with stone, "I'll be just fine!"

Ulquiorra stood, brushing his clothes off, "Don't _ever_ do that again."

Apacci snorted, "Don't get your panties in a twist! The stains will come out in a matter of one wash!"

Ggio appeared over Soifon, his arm gestured towards her, "You need to chill out, Abeja. You keep overreacting to everything! Or perhaps you need to spend a little less time aroundCharlotte?" She slipped her hand into his and he hauled her to her feet. "Hey, anyone know how to get out of here?"

"Uh… climb?" Ulquiorra jabbed his finger to the mountain they had just tumbled down likeAlicein the rabbit hole.

Apacci limped over to them, "I think I broke something! What the hell is in that thing made out of, cement?"

Ggio pried a shard of rock from his upper arm, tossing it aside. Blood soaked into his off-set white uniform. "Ouch… You hurt?" He gently touched his fingertips to the scratch across Soifon's cheek.

Ulquiorra forced himself to glance away. _She doesn't understand how a relationship between Arrancar works. Ggio's wasting his time with her. _He noticed the slight shift in the sandy mass before him. "Hush, we're not alone!"

The Fraccion fell silent. In a flash a massive claw lifted from the ground beneath Apacci and snatched her by her waist, lifting into the air. The mound of sand collapsed, spilling out across the pit like a wave. Ggio, Soifon, and Ulquiorra leapt up to avoid being crushed beneath the sudden landslide; the collapsing pile revealed a Scorpion-like Hollow, its hole positioned in the center of its back. It swung its tail around and slammed Ggio into the dirt.

Soifon instinctively unsheathed her sword, charging for it fearlessly. Her blade pierced through its back, shredding through plates of armor and muscle. It stinger lashed out but was reflexively deflected by the Arrancar's guard. In anger it clamped its claw down on Apacci, breaking multiple ribs. Apacci cried out, crimson warmth spilled from her lips; Soifon lunged, slicing through the joint of its claw with ease.

Screaming, its stinger lashed out at Soifon who swatted it aside with the back of his fist. Apacci was knocked free from the claw's grip; Ggio leapt at her and caught her in his arms, setting her gently on the ground.

Soifon avoided being both stung and smashed with the Adjuchas's other claw, countering with multiple slashes to the legs and abdomen. The wounds left geysers of blood spilling from the severed veins; its free claw finally landed on blow to Soifon's chest, flooring her at Ulquiorra's feet. She recovered quickly, glaring up at him from her pathetic position on the ground, "What the hell are you doing?"

"It's a training exercise for Fraccion, NOT Espada. I do not wish to interfere." He feigned a disinterested expression. _Go ahead, show me your progress. Are you a true killer or are you just another piece of trash to be eventually tossed out by Aizen-sama?_

"Be like that," Soifon hissed, springing to her feet. She launched herself at the beast as it fended off Ggio's sword, her blade piercing segments of its armored flesh.

The stinger nailed her in the shoulder, pinning her up against the wall. Pain rocketed through her nerves for a moment, recognizing the sign of infection as its poison seeped into her veins. Its other claw snagged Ggio by his leg, holding him upside down. He called out to the fallen Arrancar beneath them, "Apacci, now!"

"Thrust, _Cierva_!"

To Soifon's astonishment Apacci was fully healed now—and her eyes were of equal, less appealing color—and she resembled some kind of deer. She slammed her hooves down into the Hollow's skull, crashing it into the sand with a sickening _crunch. _Ggio was released first, dropping from the claw.

Ulquiorra sliced through the tail, effectively freeing Soifon. They landed gracefully—Soifon stumbled, clutching at her shoulder, "Shit, that hurt!"

"Are you alright?" _That Adjuchas' poison could be fatal. She should collapse any minute now._

"Oh, I'm fine."

To his immediate surprise the gaping hole in her muscle began to seal itself. _High-speed regeneration… I've never seen something this intense in an unreleased Arrancar before… _The poison was like black liquid, expelling from the wound before completely sealing.

"Thought you were going to stay out of this?" She mused, ignoring the searing pain as it subsided.

They acknowledged Ggio's voice as it suddenly rang out into the darkness. "Bite it off, _Tigre Estoque_!" He rocketed past them with blinding speed, the blades on his arm gingerly slicing the Scorpion vertically down the center. It collapsed in perfect two, blood spewing outwards like a waterfall.

Apacci was drenched in the crimson liquid much to her displeasure, "Ah, that's not cool! Way to take my kill you bastard."

"First of all its _our _kill, and secondly I'm pretty sure it was already dead… I was just double checking." He faced Soifon, "Are you alright, Abeja? You took a nasty hit."

"I'll be fine," she massaged her sore shoulder, "But… uh… just one question… how do we get this thing out of here?"

"Hey," Apacci glanced at the Fourth, "You wanna-? Huh? Where'd he go?"

Soifon cast her gaze at the spot outlined where Ulquiorra was only a moment ago, "Uhm… he's gone."

Ggio sighed, "Fine, we'll just get it out of here ourselves!" He examined the size of the slain creature. "…Somehow."

**. . . .  
><strong>**. . .  
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><strong>**.**

"I hate him!"

A cascade of water slammed upon the moonlit sand from above, turning it to a momentary pit of mud before drying up.

"I freaking hate him!"

Harribel swung her blade around again, shooting out a burst of boiling liquid that dissipated into thin air. It was harder to train in Hueco Mundo because it was so dry, but the strongest Espada weren't allowed to use their Ressureccions inside of Las Noches so out here had to do. But, really, she was training to deplete her anger levels.

"I… I…"

Harribel sighed, pausing to search out the other's energy: Ulquiorra was last located in the east, Yammy was exploding with power in the west, Baraggan was probably turning some Hollows to dust down south near the forest, and Starrk had dropped off the radar. She figured he had fallen asleep—as usual—and uprooted a weeping tree nearby with _La Gota_. A second bullet pierced the face of a boulder, shattering it like glass; a chunk of debris skimmed her shoulder as it shot by.

"Ouch!"

She wagged her head, "So much for your sneak attack." _Why are you here? GO AWAY._

"Got me between the eyes; that kinda hurt." Arms slipped around her waist, bringing her into a tight embrace as lips met her neck. "I started to miss you."

"Starrk… Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Well…" She frowned, "Never mind."

Starrk quirked an eyebrow, "If you won't ask me then I'll ask you… Who do you hate? Is it Aizen? Or perhaps Gin? Maybe Yammy? After all he is annoying… but Nnoitra—now NNOITRA, even I'm about to put my foot up his-"

"You."

He snorted, "Yeah, I figured as much—wait, what'd I do?"

"You're just…" she pulled out of his grasp, "You drive me up a freaking wall!"

"I repeat: What'd I do?"

"Or… perhaps…" She settled into the sand, tucking her legs up against her chest. She folded her arms over her knees and stared into the distance at the off-set white dome of Las Noches, rising up in contrast to the obsidian sky, "Maybe I'm just overreacting… Maybe I'm driving _myself _up a wall…" Starrk perched beside her, lips pressed into a thin line. "Do you love me?"

Starrk hesitated; instead of answering he pushed her onto her back, eyes engaged in a staring contest. The sand was chilling against Harribel's exposed, caramel skin. He lied beside her, arm holding her at the waist and head using the crook of her neck as a pillow.

She embraced the bitter silence for a moment; her nails raked through his dark hair.

Nearby a familiar trio of Fraccion dragged along a massive, severed claw from the Hollow they had just defeated. They were oblivious to the Espada in eye sight—which was a tragedy on Apacci's part since she probably would have flipped her lid at the sight of the two Arrancar snuggling with each other—and struggled towards Las Noches.

"If this doesn't secure our victory nothing will!" Ggio exclaimed, pushing the claw from behind at the stump of the limb. Apacci kicked it to encourage it another couple of yards.

Harribel rolled her head in their direction, "What are they doing?"

"Probably the Fraccion training challenge again," Starrk uttered.

Beside them a crystallizing-blue wolf, the same color as Starrk's eyes, materialized. Her fur wavered like a burning fire, ruby-red voids falling on them almost accusingly. "Starrk, Harribel-san, Aizen has called for a meeting."

Starrk rolled over and sat up, "That doesn't sound good, Lilynette. Please tell me this is a joke…"

"It's not," the wolf pawed the sand beneath her feet, "We have a problem…"

Starrk's gaze met Harribel's. _Great._

* * *

><p><em>Trust me, Starrk and Harribel's relationship is important right now... believe it or not XD<em>


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